Secretary Blinken’s Call with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan

04/05/2022 05:31 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today. The Secretary condemned the Kremlin’s heinous war crimes in Ukraine and highlighted the continued commitment of the U.S. and its partners to hold the Russian Federation and its enablers accountable for the unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. The Secretary underscored that now was not the time for further escalation in the region. The Secretary expressed his encouragement for further peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including Pashinyan’s and Aliyev’s planned meeting April 6 with European Council President Michel. He reiterated the United States stood ready to help by engaging bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to help the countries find a long-term comprehensive peace.